The present invention relates generally to a device for use in rescuing a drowning victim who has broken through thin ice or is floundering in open water. The invention is particularly directed to a rescue device for ice and water rescue situations which enables a rescuer to reach a drowning victim who has fallen through the ice or is in distress in an open body water and to secure the victim for transport to a safe location.
Many types of buoyant rescue devices have been developed for enabling a rescuer to reach a drowning victim who has either fallen through the ice or is unable to swim in open water. The prior art devices are relatively large sled-like structures which are buoyant and which have relatively large bottom service areas for distributing the weight of the device as well as the weight of the victim and the rescuer over a large supporting area such as an ice surface. Because of its primary purpose, the rescue sled must be bulky and buoyant so as to be supported on thin ice and to float in water. However, the bulkiness of the rescue sled makes it difficult to transport and to store during periods of nonuse. Inflatable rescue devices have also been developed which do not have the disadvantage of being difficult to transport and store. However, the inflatable devices are subject to deflation as a result of tearing on sharp ice, rocks, or broken bottles. The weight of the victim and the rescuer are not spread uniformally and tends to shift so that the device is not as stable as that of the rigid rescue sleds. Also, due to the yieldable nature of the inflatable device, there is a tendency for the victim to roll off the supporting surface of the device. These and other difficulties experienced with the prior art rescue devices have been obviated by the present invention.
It is, therefore, a principle object of the invention to provide a device for ice and water rescue which has the advantages of a rigid rescue sled in terms of stability and resistance to disablement and the advantages of an inflatable rescue device in terms of ease of transporting and convenience of storing.
Another object of the invention is the provision of a device for ice and water rescue which is convertible between a relatively bulky functional state for use in rescue situations to a compact non-functional state for transporting and storage.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of a device for use in ice and water rescue which can be converted easily and quickly between a bulkly functional state and a compact non-functional state.
It is another object for the present invention to provide a device for use in ice and water rescue which includes means for enabling a rescuer to easily and quickly secure a drowning victim to a sled at the initial point of rescue.
A still further object of the invention is the provision of a device for use in ice and water rescue which is easy and convenient to use for rescuing victims in emergency situations and which is capable of a long life of useful service.
With these and other objects in view, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention resides in the combination of parts set forth in the specification and covered by the claims appended hereto.